6. The Little Shop of HorrorsDirected by Roger CormanWritten by Charles B. Griffith

There's a lot to admire in this low-budget horror-comedy, including a very young Jack Nicholson in the role Bill Murray would play in the musical remake. But my favorite part of the picture is the pair of cops on loan from Dragnet and their deadpan conversations. "How are the kids?" "Lost one yesterday." "How'd that happen?" "Playing with matches." "Well, those are the breaks."

7. Peeping TomDirected by Michael PowellWirtten by Leo Marks

Like Psycho, this was widely condemned in the terms now reserved for films like Saw. But while Psycho was a huge hit for Hitchcock, Peeping Tom practically destroyed Powell's career.

8. The Virgin SpringDirected by Ingmar BergmanWritten by Ulla Isaksson

Unlike Psycho and Peeping Tom, this highbrow revenge flick was not widely condemned in the terms now reserved for films like Saw. But this is the one that was remade as The Last House on the Left.

9. The Young OneDirected by Luis BuñuelWritten by Buñuel and Hugo Butler, from a story by Peter Matthiessen

Much more complicated than the typical racial message-movie.

10. The HousemaidWritten and directed by Kim Ki-young

A dark and stylish thriller that progresses steadily from film noir to horror before revealing it belonged all along to a larger genre: the male fantasy disguised as a nightmare.